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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2150, 5 August 1907, Page 1

THE GISBORNE HARBOR BILL.

(To the Editor.) Sir.—i have read wAn much interyoo juur ieaaor 01 tins morning, ...L'li wmcu, ui Clio mum, l Huougn ruput-eu to uo ’ uuv'uimcu -i aij »j*»wa upon uuoli local'aiiit; goul_i II.Ji.C iiumuuuoj JL Have l/mjught. -u U aa.».j LV unci ill UeUIU UleCt,,t) u iaouor opposition to Haiooi’ scheme, aim au>o tlio l mocHOUS oi a •brutal’' majority ol tlio iioaru uesigneu, as tuey imagine, lo ensure me passage ot tlio Bill.: Any one wno reatls your article and gives attention to file financial questions must be satitied that I was right wnen 1 insisted • upon tlio recording ot iny dissont from tho Committee s report on the subject of revenue to oe derived from the construction of the proposed Breakwater because tlio statistics therein wuro “uureliiibele, largely fanciful and unauthentidated by any responsible ollicial.” But there is much that can properly be urged against tlio scheme of an (Juter Harbor at all, at the present time, and particularly against l Mr. Marchant's scheme, and not much attention has been given to such objections so-far as I have noticed! 1. Mr. Marcliant was required to locate a Harbor with a minimum depth- of 4011. He did so, I presfimo, at the only place where he considered such a depth could be got. But it was a' radical mistake in my opinion to tie his hands in that way, because there is no need for any 1 such mlninum depth, and if he had been given a free hand ho could easily have devised a Harbor equal to the needs of the district, 'without locating it practically a mile and a! half from the town. But, for a generation at least, thero will be noi real necessity for any outer liarborj because till the place has grown, any outer harbor, and particularly; one of the character proposed, will be a “white elephant”, ono which no one disputes tho district could stand) but which wise people would not ■ burden themselves with. 2. It is admitted on all hands that the “mutton” boats get quick' a; satisfactory dispatch' in loading, and they at least make no complaints about loading facilities here. ' On the contrary they are so satisfied jt'hat they do not wish for any'change, nor do the shippers. 3. It may bo that the farming community, or some thereof, think they pay too much freight for their products, and so, a section of them oh the Board seek tb get round l the shipowners by enormously increasing Port charges on the boats, and: as a sop to the general public by reducing by half wharfage rates on general merchandise. This device will'certainly ensure a handsome rebate to the importing merchant, l but will not benefit the consumer. And I take it as pretty certain that if the shipowners have to pay libavy Port charges they will take the* increase out of the farmers who ship products. The nett result is a gift to the merchant who imports. Messrs and . . . wall no doubt throw up their hats and rejoice.’ 4 I am unable to find any really valid ground on which the rating area should be restricted so as to. exclude Waipu wholly and Tolaga Bay partly. The traffic of the East Coast Peninsula must- concentrate in Gisborne, sooner or later, and perhaps sooner than many of us anticipate and therefore it cannot be truly said that Waipu and Tolaga will derive no benefit when an efficient Obter Harbor is constructed at Gisborne l . It may, however, bo urged fairly * enough that tho outlying parts of the rating area should only pay a rate graduated according to situation. And to that- no reasonable person would object under existing circumstances. Harbor on the brain is a disease which sometimes grows with the prospect of the expenditure of money, but it should not be encouraged by Parliament. The whole proposed scheme, like pearly all Harbor schemes in New Zealand, is a huge experiment. And I for one consider that Mr. Marchant’s estimate of Cost will be found far too low. I do not think he would contract to do the work at his estimated cost. And even if the harbor as designed! by him were successfully constructed it is by no means certain that in ah' -a a 1 ion exposed as in this case to the wild south, and south-east waves vessels will 'be safe inside moored to the proposed pier. That is a mattter upon which- we may ;all - judge without possessing engineering skill. Yours etc.

W. SIEVWIUGHT. Gisborne, August 2.